It’s pretty clear that child-proofing any home is important before you bring a baby back from the hospital and to your abode. Of course, this might be different if you adopt a loved one later in their life, but the truth is that what your family home is now might not be as suitable as it could be when another family member is present.
But no matter if you’re expecting surprising triplets, have family coming to stay for a while, or have successfully undergone IVF treatment, all of these opportunities give you time to plan your household in line with having smaller children present.
This is a collaborative post.
With that in mind, please consider the following:
Dull, Protect Or Remove Sharp Corners
Sharp corners on furniture like coffee tables or low shelves can be risky for little ones just learning to crawl or walk. Heck, they can be dangerous for any one of us that might bump into them without looking as well. Adding corner protectors could soften these edges and reduce the chance of bumps or bruises, and the foam additions are cheap to buy and can go on any smaller table that might seem larger for a child. If certain items are particularly hazardous or unnecessary, like a glass side table, you might decide to remove or store them for now, because it’s not worth the damage and the harm they could cause to an excitable child.
Limit Access With Adult Locks
If you can’t use it, a child is going to be highly interested in it. That’s just how the young mind works. This means cabinets, drawers, and doors are best with child-proof locks, as they could stop little hands from pulling out dangerous items like cleaning supplies, sharp tools, or heavy pots filled with soil.
We’d also recommend you don’t forget areas like the fridge, toilet, or even windows. Many of these have simple locking solutions that are easy for adults to open but tricky for toddlers, and you can add them yourself too. Door latches are also very helpful against rooms you don’t particularly want to child-proof because they shouldn’t be there anyway – an office door is a pretty solid example.
Ensure Heating & Draughts Are Managed
A warm, comfortable home is not only nice for babies and young children, it’s essential because they’re much more sensitive to cold and discomfort. However, you don’t want them to be scalded by heating solutions either, quite clearly. So, ensuring radiators or heaters are child-safe, with no exposed elements or surfaces that get too hot, is a good place to start. On top of that, covers for radiators or guards for fireplaces can reduce the risk in kind. It’s also worth checking for draughts around windows and doors. Babies and small children are more sensitive to temperature changes and you could have a draught aimed in their cot if you haven’t excluded or sealed the window in a while. These are the little issues that become important as you have a little one with you.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily make that curated household more child-friendly.